Category Archives: Insurance Claims

Water damage is whereby your home and the objects within it are significantly damaged due to exposure to water. Water damage can be caused by many different issues like drains leaking, damaged or leaking water pipes, damaged showers and many more. Water damage claims can involve small amounts of damage to floors or extensive damage to home appliances. Here are 3 things you should do to manage potential water damage situations.

1: Water Leak Detection Investigation

Identifying a leak before it happens and before it causes any significant damage is one of the smartest and worthwhile investments you can make as a homeowner. Hiring experts to use top of the range equipment, technology and give their expert advice will allow you to identify and manage a water damage situation before it ever even happens. This investigation process will potentially save you big money in the long run so the smart thing to do is get one done immediately because a water problem could potentially be forming without your knowledge.

2: Get Help Managing An Insurance Claim

Firstly when getting a home you should always factor in water damage cover into your home and contents insurance package. When a potential water damage situation arises it is essential to get an experienced and efficient team of experts to deal with your water damage claim. After water damage, everybody wants to get their home back to the way it was before the damage as soon as possible, so ensuring a quick and responsive service to water damage claims is key. Getting help and assistance with an insurance company is important in order to ensure you are looked after properly.

3: Water Damage Protocol

It is important to be prepared for every type of situation that can arise. Due to climate change, different economic factors and home operating systems it is very difficult to determine when a flood or water crises might occur. Water damage can be devastating to your premises so as a premises owner it is important to have a water damage plan/protocol to look to for guidance to best manage the situation. Your water crisis plan should include…

Creating a water damaged list of everything that has been affected

Removing as much of the water you can, when it is safe to do so

Turning off electricity to avoid serious danger, if it is safe to do so

Call the professionals for advice, managing of the situation and repair of the damage

Subsidence is the term for the caving in or sinking of an area of land. Subsidence in homes and office buildings is generally caused by unstable soil beneath the property rather than the weight of the structure that has been built on top of it. Subsidence can have negative effects on the visual appearance of a building, but it can also be more serious and cause structural problems. It’s crucial to catch subsidence early on, here are 4 ways to spot subsidence.

1: Doors & Windows

Some of the early signs of subsidence in a property can be spotted by checking the windows and doors of a property as they are weak spots. Go around to all of the windows and doors in the property and look for small cracks appearing in the walls around them, if you observe cracks in more than one spot it is likely you are dealing with subsidence. You can also open and close the windows and doors. Doors and windows sticking is another tell tale sign of subsidence.

2: Cracks In Walls

Some small cracks appearing in walls is normal in a lot of circumstances, but watch out for larger cracks especially if they get wider as they get higher up on the wall. If the cracks are 3mm or wider and moving upwards diagonally, you should contact a subsidence specialist to get a second opinion immediately.

3: Extension

If you have added an extension onto your home or office then you should go and check the point where it meets the main building. As subsidence is caused by movement underground, you may be able to see a crack where the two meet, as your extension may be being pulled away from the main building.

4: Wallpaper

If you have wallpaper in building there is another sign of subsidence that you can look out for. Go around to all of the rooms with wallpaper looking in particular at where the walls meet the ceiling for signs of crinkling.

Always be conscious and on the lookout for subsidence. Check if your doors or windows are sticking or have small cracks around them, watch out for diagonal cracks in the wall especially if they are 3mm or wider, check where any extensions meet the main building for cracks and finally look for crinkles in your wallpaper where the walls meet the ceiling. If you have any or all of these signs of subsidence, call a professional out to get to the bottom of the problem. Book your subsidence consultation by visiting us online today.

Storm damage is becoming more and more frequent these days, this is due to both climate change and there simply being more properties around to get damaged as areas become more built up. Storms can leave your home or business with no electricity, broken windows and even holes in your roof. It’s crucial to make an effort to rectify the situation as soon as possible to limit any further damage that may be caused by the issues going untreated.

With any type of storm damage it’s important to consult a trusted repair company to assess the damage. The type of company you count on to get you back on your feet should be one that can effectively deal with all of the eventualities that are mentioned above as well as any surprise headaches. This will save you time and money as they will be able to quickly assess what needs to be done as well as ensuring everything is properly fixed. Hiring experts means that you can get back to business as usual as fast as possible.

Another important thing that should be considered when selecting such a maintenance company is how they deal with you and your insurance companies. They should be willing to help you in your home or business insurance claim. If they haven’t done this before then it’s unlikely they have repaired a homes or businesses storm damage in the past. This inexperience could lead to oversights when assessing damages, leaving you with a costly bill down the line due to their negligence.

It’s common to not have a company that springs to mind right away when you suffer storm damage to your home or business. When you do get a few names of companies that might be able to help you should always go to their websites and look at their customers testimonials. If the website has no testimonials it’s likely that they either don’t care what their customers say or don’t want you to see what their previous customers have said about them.

These few tips for picking the right company to repair your storm damage should help you ensure you pick the right people for the job.Here at Advanced Maintenance Ltd we can repair all kinds of storm damage to your property in a prompt and professional fashion. We take the headache out of dealing with your insurance company by helping you deal with them. We also have an excellent reputation due to the high standards we hold ourselves to and our concern for our customers. Just check out our testimonial sections.

You would think that water damage repair would be a fairly simple process. After all, you wipe up the water, lay a towel down over whatever’s left and that’s it, right?

Well, maybe so for smaller spills, like a glass of water. But when you consider major problems like a burst pipe in your bathroom, a flash flood in your neighbourhood, a hole in your roof, or a backed up sewer that empties into your home. Believe it or not, water damage can actually be more destructive to a home or business than a fire!

The reason is simple…..where a fire does it’s damage right away, water does its initial damage, and then there are the after effects, issues that, if not treated properly, can be fruitful and multiply, causing numerous additional problems and adding thousands of euro to the repair costs.

If you’re reading this while standing ankle deep in water in what used to be your family room……turn off the electricity! Water and electricity do not mix. Not even a little bit.

You’ll want to begin by moving all furniture and loose items out of the damaged area. These can be cleaned up and repaired elsewhere and won’t hinder the water extraction process.

Then you will need to extract the water and remove it from the premises. Water extraction and removal is the process of removing the excess water through use of wet-dry vacs or pumping equipment. Once that is done, you will still need to remove the remaining moisture from carpets, hardwood flooring, and any other surfaces. This is done through the use of high velocity fans, air movers, and dehumidifiers, placed strategically around the damaged area. They should be moved periodically to insure complete coverage of the area. It may take up to several days to thoroughly dry all surfaces.

You’ll now want to clean and disinfect all carpets, hardwood flooring, and any other surfaces, as well as check basements and crawlspaces for remaining water. Dark and damp places are a breeding ground for mould, which can release toxins into the air causing health issues from mild allergic reactions to lung disease and even death. Mould remediation is a difficult process and should be handled by a professional.

Once all surfaces have been dried out, you can begin to ascertain what sorts of structural repairs are required.

Advance Maintenance Ltd provides a totally free insurance claim management service for all building insurance claims from quotation to completion

Arrange a site visit within 24 hours of your call

Ensure your property is secured and the repairs addressed as soon as possible.

Assess the extent of the damage which has been caused.

Meet with the Loss Adjuster appointed by you insurance company

Prepare a detailed specification of Proposed Remedial Works.

Negotiate costs with the Loss Adjuster for the consideration of the Insured.

Draw up a repair schedule and time frame for restoration work to be carried out.

Carry out repairs as agreed with the Loss Adjuster.

Project manage all reinstatement works until completion, at no extra cost.

Fire damage can be one of the most devastating disasters that can happen to your home or business. It’s important to know what to do after fire strikes. Unless you have the necessary knowledge and skill, it is difficult to restore the fire damaged property. It is always good to turn to a professional for fire damage restoration.

Your primary focus should be safety first. Ask yourself is it safe to stay in the house? Only perform activities that are safe. Remember do not take any unnecessary risks. Follow the items on this checklist:

Make sure that your property is secure.

Make sure your property is ventilated.

Cover carpeted areas with towels or old linens to prevent additional soiling.

Discard open food packages as this food could be contaminated.

Report the damage to your insurance company as soon as possible.

You may desperately want to get your home or office cleaned immediately after the fire. But if you are not careful, you may cause more damage to your property. Here are some things NOT to do:

Don’t attempt to wash any walls or painted surfaces or shampoo carpet or upholstery without contacting a professional restoration company.

Don’t attempt to clean any electrical appliances that may have been close to fire, heat or water without consulting an electrician.

Don’t enter the property unless it is safe to do so.

Advance Maintenance Ltd provides a totally free insurance claim management service for all building insurance claims from quotation to completion

Arrange a site visit within 24 hours of your call

Ensure your property is secured and the repairs addressed as soon as possible.

Assess the extent of the damage which has been caused.

Meet with the Loss Adjuster appointed by your insurance company

Prepare a detailed specification of Proposed Remedial Works.

Negotiate costs with the Loss Adjuster for the consideration of the Insured.

Draw up a repair schedule and time frame for restoration work to be carried out.

Carry out repairs as agreed with the Loss Adjuster.

Project manage all reinstatement works until completion, at no extra cost.